2021 Platinum Awards Gala

The evening of Thursday, April 27 was a night of online festivities where the year's winners of the New Westminster Platinum Awards were given out to the top businesses and non-profits of the city.
Bad Dad jokes were sprinkled throughout the event by the ever-good-humoured Rnold Smith, host and CEO of the Chamber and his unflappable co-host, Shae Fowler of the Royal Columbia Hospital Foundation and Chair of the Awards Committee. They introduced and presented the awards to the ten winners in 10 categories. Even Mayor Cote, who popped in for awhile, had a Bad Dad joke to tell, pulled from a hand-crafted ceramic jar full of them – a present from his daughters. Short videos of all 30 finalists were presented, giving viewers a good idea of all of the candidates in the running.

Douglas College sponsored the event which was a creative collaboration between NewWestminster's Chamber of Commerce and NewWest.tv.  Individual awards were sponsored by a number of other local organizations. Viewers got to mingle in an online room of tables before heading into the main stage for the main event. While there were some hitches in the new technology employed, not unusual in early use of such, the event went well and extended for nearly 3.5 hours.

While all the finalists were very deserving of a Platinum Award, the Winners in each category were:

Customer Service Award                 Taverna Greka                                       sponsor - TD bank
Community Spirit  Award                  Piva Modern Italian Restaurant             sponsor - Prospera Credit Union
Bernie Legge Cultural Award           The Stage Musical Theatre Academy    sponsor - BC Business
Diversity/Inclusion  Champion          Yorkville University                                sponsor – NW Chamber
Business Adaptation Award              Mila & Paige                                          sponsor- the City of NW
Wellness Champion                          Hawkes Martial Arts                              sponsor - NW Chamber
Home-based Business of the Year   Stephanie Manages/Music teacher       sponsor – Piva Restaurant
New Business of the Year                Craft Cafe                                              sponsor – Piva Restaurant
Not-For-Profit  of the Year                 Downtown  NewWest BIA                     sponsor – Cap's Bicycle Shop
Green Business of the Year              Cap's Bicycle Shop                               sponsor - Kruger    

by: Susan Millar